Cartridge case ejecting mechanism



Oct. 24, 1961 C W- MUSSER CARTRIDGE CASE EJECTING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 22, 1960 1N VEN TOR. C WALTON MUSSER ATTORNEYS I 3,005,386 CARTRIDGE CASE EJEC'IIN G MECHANISM C Walton Musser, 66 McKay St, Beverly, Mass. Filed Jan. 22, 1969, Ser. No. 4,161 4 Claims. (Cl. 89--1.7) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), see. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to cartridge case ejecting mechanisms, and particularly to an improved case ejecting mechanism which functions (1) to lock the cartridge in place during its firing, (2) to eject the case of the spent cartridge in response to the gas pressure generated by the firing of the cartridge, and (3) thereafter to maintain itself in a condition to automatically lock a cartridge in place for firing.

As will appear, these various features do away with the customary breech mechanism, thus reducing the weight and cost of the gun and minimizing the time and skill required for its operation.

The invention will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accomPal-lyiflg drawings mil-1i ififllifilifil-dlfn. y natientherewith ef aa assembly retaining ring a cab 25 ejector cylinder having an extension with an inclined the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings: FIG. 1 illustrates the mechanism as ready for firing. FIG. 2 shows the mechanism as positioned in response to the gas pressure generated by the firing of the cartridge,

FIG. 3 shows the position of the various parts at the 30 start of the case unlocking operation,

FIG. 4 shows the mechanism as positioned during ejection of the cartridge case, and

FIG. 5 illustrates the loading position of the mechanism.

As appears from the various figures, the gun (only partially shown) is similar to that disclosed by US. Patent No. 2,733,639 in that it is of the recoilless type and includes a plurality of venturis disposed about its breech. The ease ejecting mechanism of the present invention is mounted within the annular section in which these venturi are formed.

This mechanism includes a plurality of locking fingers 11 which have an inclined surface intermediate their ends and are supported by a retaining ring 12. This ring'has its inner surface partly in contact with a wedge-shaped expanding ring 13 which has an inclined surface and partly in contact with the outer surface of the wedge-shaped jaws 14 of an annular piston 15. The piston 15 is interposed between an assembly retaining ring 16 and a case ejector cylinder 17, its jaws having inclined surfaces adapted to cooperate with the inclined surface of said finger expanding ring. Arranged to cooperate with the inclined surfaces of the case locking fingers 11 is an inch'ned surface on the extension near the outer end of the case ejector cylinder 17. Between a projection of the cylinder 17 and the expanding ring 13 is a 200 pound ejecting and unlocking spring 18 and similarly disposed between the retaining ring 12 and the assembly retainer 16 is a pound locking spring 19.

In the manufacture of the various parts of the mechanism, it has been found preferable to form the locking fingers 11 as a cone to the shape shown and then to split this cone into eight similar pieces. The jaws 14 of the piston 15 are preferably formed by splitting the inner end of the cylinder similar to a collet so that these jaws may be sprung outwardly to catch onto the retaining ring 12 as hereinafter explained.

Assuming the mechanism to be positioned as indicated by FIG. 1 the firing of the cartridge produces a gas pressure by which the piston 15 is driven rearwardly as indicated by FIG. 2. This action compresses the spring 18 and wedges the jaws 14 of the piston 15 outwardly so that s by FIG. 3.

Patented Oct. 24, 1961 2 the jaws 14 are mechanically coupled to the finger retaining ring as shown.

As the gas pressure starts to decrease, the spring 18 expands and the spring 19 is compressed as indicated 10 pression of the spring 18 so that the jaws 14 return to the position where they are uncoupled from the finger retaining ring 12 as indicated in FIG. 5 which shows the loading position of the mechanism.

In this position, the locking spring 19 is compressed 15 and the locking fingers 11 are fixed in position by the case ejecting cylinder 17. Insertion of a cartridge under these conditions moves the ejecting cylinder 17 forwardly permitting the spring 19 to move the fingers rearwardly, thus locking the cartridge case head 20 in place and restor- 20 ing the mechanism to be ready for firing position shown in FIG. 1.

I claim: 1. In a cartridge case ejecting mechanism, the combisurface, an annular piston movable between said assembly retaining ring and said cylinder and terminating in a plurality of jaws each having an inclined surface, a plurality of case locking fingers each having intermediate its ends an inclined surface adapted to engage the inclined surface of said extension, a finger expanding ring surrounding said ejector cylinder and having an inclined surface adapted to engage the inclined surfaces of said jaws, a finger retaining ring coupled to the inner ends of said fingers and movable on said jaws and said expanding ring, means exerting between said assembly retaining ring and said finger retaining ring a force whereby said case is locked in said mechanism, and means operable upon movement of said piston to exert between said extension and said expanding ring a force whereby said locking fingers are released and said case is ejected from said mechanism.

2. A cartridge case ejecting mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the means for locking said case in said mechanism is a spring exerting a force of the order of 30 pounds and the means for releasing said fingers and ejecting said case is a spring exerting a force of the order of 200 pounds.

3. In a cartridge case ejecting mechanism, the combination therewith of an assembly retaining ring, a case ejector cylinder having a lateral extension, an annular piston movable between said assembly retaining ring and said cylinder and terminating in plurality of jaws, a plurality of case locking fingers having intermediate their ends wedgeshaped surfaces engaging said extension, a finger expanding ring having a wedge-shaped surface engaging said jaws,

a finger retaining ring coupled to the inner ends of said fingers and movable on said jaws and said finger expanding ring, means exerting between said assembly retaining ring and said finger retaining ring a force whereby said case is locked in said mechanism, and means operable upon movement of said piston to exert between said finger expanding ring and said extension a force whereby said case is released and ejected from said mechanism.

4. A cartridge case ejecting mechanism according to claim 3 wherein said first means is a relatively weak spring and said second means is a relatively strong spring.

Musser Feb. 24, 1959 Musser Jan. 12, 1960 This starts retraction of the locking fingers 

